New to the bear hunting thing

[Bambito]

My wife and I are bear hunting virgins. This year we applied for our first time, but we just applied for preference points. We have a few questions. Lets say next year one of us applies for pp and the other actaully applies for a tag and gets drawn. Can the other one help bait and sit in the stand with that person during that hunting season if he or she doesn't have a license? Also I know the regs state that you can't start baiting till August 16th. How often prior to the season should you be baiting and then rebating your baits? Do you need to be up there every day rebaiting them or can you bait just on the weekends in order to keep them coming back? Thanks guys I will probably have more questions in the near future as well!

[CANOPY SAM]

Answer to question #1 = yes, anyone can sit in stand with you/her, and help with baiting. As long as they too are not hunting or carrying a weapon.

I'll leave the baiting sequence question to the pros, but I have had success baiting every few days until I get hit, then I'm baiting everyday, changing up bait a bit just to keep em' interested.

[leech~~]

I think anyone can help you bait or sit with you as long as they don't have a gun with them. As far as baiting only on the weekends. Once you start to get some good hits, pile on the bait each time you go so that it will last until the next weekend when you can add more or they will leave to find food somewhere else!. Some of our baits had about 1/2 a ton on them once we got some good hit's since we couldn't make it up there during the week.

But I think we need Jonny P, to chime in here since he does some Bear guiding.

[lichen fox]

Yes, as spoken, the unlicensed person can help...heck they can even do all the baiting for the other person, as long as the one doing the baiting has the DNR lisc. #, (Dnr #), of the licensed hunter with them...effectively making them the hunters "agent"...this is commonly done...as perhaps on a given day...only one of a party or two, three or more may be able to check baits...as long as the one doing the baiting that day has the DNR #'s of all the other hunter's he is checking baits for on his person...he's good to go!

[Bambito]

Thanks guys! I am sure I will have more questions soon!

[protrapper]

Hire a guide for your first time. It will be a cheap education.

[Random guy]

When it comes to the frequency of checking baits you can spin yourself in a circle. There is a 100 different circumstances affected by another 100 factors. They write books just on baiting for a reason. Best case is bait every day, next is every other day so on and so forth.